Western African names include those from Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. See also about African names.
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
NwudeIgbo The surname Nwude is likely of Igbo origin, a major ethnic group in Nigeria. In the Igbo language, Nwude (or Nwodi) can be a combination of two elements:... [more]
OdoemeneNigerian Odoemene roots from Nigeria. It has branched onward to America, and multiple other countries. It literally means 'yellow reluctance' in Igbo.
OyinvwiUrhobo A name from the history of the urhobo culture. It's been noted that the name indicate strength and is the name attached to it. The important vice of the tradition. Leads trivial matters in hope for liberty.
OyuelaSpanish, Western African The surname Oyuela is likely of Spanish or African (specifically, West African) origin, with roots in both linguistic and cultural traditions.... [more]
PendaWolof Penda stems from the Swahili “kupenda” = to love/like/be pleasant. Notable bearer was Fara Penda, a Waalo noble of the Wolof people in West Africa. Waalo was a kingdom on the lower Senegal River in in what is now Senegal and Mauritania.
SajuyigbeYoruba (Americanized, Rare) The Sajuyigbe family, with its roots in the Yoruba tribe, carries a rich and complex history. The family is believed to descend from a line of royals that held significant influence in Yorubaland around the time of the Nok culture... [more]
SakoWestern African, Manding From the name of a Soninke and Mandinka clan most likely derived from saaxo meaning "heron, egret".
SelassieEthiopian, Amharic, Western African Possibly means "trinity" in Amharic. A notable bearer was Haile Selassie (1892-1975), the regent and emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974.
TraoréWestern African, Manding Francization of Manding Tarawele, which is of uncertain etymology. It was originally used by 13th-century Malian warrior Tiramakhan and possibly means "going to call it".
UwemIbibio, Efik, Anang Meaning "Life". It originates from the Efik, Ibibio and Anang tribes of Cross River state, Nigeria which has now been divided with the Ibibios and Anang people in the newly formed Akwa Ibom state. Other variations of the name are: Uwemedimo meaning "life is wealth" and Nkereuwem meaning "my name is life"